Venezuelans attend wake for former president

By The Associated Press
| 12:43 p.m.Oct. 5, 2011

Supporters of Venezuela's late President Carlos Andres Perez react over the coffin containing his remains at the Action Democratic party headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. Perez's remains arrived to Venezuela Tuesday, nine months after his death in Miami set off a bitter family feud over his final resting place. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
— AP

Supporters of Venezuela's late President Carlos Andres Perez react over the coffin containing his remains at the Action Democratic party headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. Perez's remains arrived to Venezuela Tuesday, nine months after his death in Miami set off a bitter family feud over his final resting place. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
/ AP

Supporters of Venezuela's late President Carlos Andres Perez lean on a window next to a giant picture of Perez during his funeral service at the Action Democratic party headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. Perez's remains arrived to Venezuela Tuesday, nine months after his death in Miami set off a bitter family feud over his final resting place. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)— AP

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Supporters of Venezuela's late President Carlos Andres Perez lean on a window next to a giant picture of Perez during his funeral service at the Action Democratic party headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011. Perez's remains arrived to Venezuela Tuesday, nine months after his death in Miami set off a bitter family feud over his final resting place. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
/ AP

CARACAS, Venezuela 
Thousands of Venezuelans have attended a wake for former President Carlos Andres Perez, a day after his remains arrived in his homeland.

The remains of Perez arrived in Venezuela nine months after his death in Miami set off a family feud.

The ex-president's embalmed body had been kept in cold storage in a mortuary while the families of his former first lady and his mistress battled in court over whether he should be buried in Venezuela or the United States.

Perez died on Dec. 25 at age 88.

Supporters of Perez gathered on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Democratic Action party in downtown Caracas, where mourners sang the party's anthem as they surrounded the casket containing the ex-president's body.